The decision by Royal Aberdeen paves the way for it to remain as one of the country’s foremost tournament venues outside the courses on the Open Championship rota.

The proposal to admit women members was passed at a special meeting, where around 150 members delivered overwhelming support to bringing down the male-only barriers after 238 years. It is believed that 97 per cent gave their support for the proposal.

“This has been ongoing for a while,” the club’s secretary / director of golf, Ronnie MacAskill, said.

“I’ve been here for 43 years and it kept coming up. We’ve had some younger captains in recent years and they’ve introduced new things like sending out surveys to the membership to get a feel for what they want going forward.

“The admission of women members was included and, as it’s 2018 and not 1780, it was felt that the club should be all-inclusive, which has been achieved through changing a very simple line in the rules. I think the days of single-gender clubs are slowly disappearing and we didn’t want to be left behind.

“Along with Trump International Golf Links and Cruden Bay, we have been noted as potential venues for the 2019 Scottish Open. That was not the driver in this change, but let’s say the committee was aware that organisations like the R&A and European Tour are not going to deal with single-gender clubs going forward. “Hosting events is part of the DNA at Royal Aberdeen and we want to continue doing that. It is healthy for the club, the members and visitors and it is good for the city of Aberdeen.”

Royal Aberdeen Golf Club and Aberdeen Ladies’ Golf Club, which is located on the same site but is a separate club, have set up a working group to discuss the possible impact on both clubs of the change.

A statement from Aberdeen Ladies’ Golf Club said: “Aberdeen Ladies’ Golf Club, while pleased to hear that Royal Aberdeen Golf Club has agreed to admit women as members of their club, would have wanted to be an integral part of that arrangement. We see a mutually beneficial agreement between the two clubs as the way forward.”